Secret Friendship
by oreo-panda
Summary: How long can Xiaoyu keep her growing friendship with Hwoarang a secret from Jin? *Chapter 11 Revised!*
1. Chapter One

Xiaoyu coughed as she handed the pipe back to Hwoarang. She waved pungent smoke away from her face and wiped a watering eye. "Is it supposed to do that?" she asked, gasping for air.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, "it's like that the first time." He flicked the lighter and tilted it into the bowl, inhaling deeply. His eyes slid closed for a moment, and he slowly let the smoke out of his lungs. "But you get used to it real quick." He passed the pipe to Xiaoyu again and lit it for her. They each took a few more hits in silence before Xiaoyu started giggling. "What?" Hwoarang demanded.  
  
"Your faaaace is doing funny thiiiings," she teased, covering her mouth with her free hand.  
  
"Ooookay," he said, prying the pipe out of her hand. "I think that's enough for you."  
  
"No! I want some more!" she pouted.  
  
"Sorry, girl. You are high as a kite."  
  
"I am so not high," she protested, pouting some more. Hwoarang ignored her, poking the blackened bits of plant matter left in the pipe. "Besides, it's cashed anyway."  
  
"No more?" Xiaoyu peered into the bowl.  
  
"Nope, no more." He emptied the remains of the marijuana into the palm of his hand and blew them into the bushes. He stood up and offered his friend a hand up. "Come on," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "Anyone catches us, and we'll probably get disqualified from the tournament."  
  
Xiaoyu took his hand and stood. He placed an arm around her shoulders and helped guide her back inside the hotel. He could tell she was using all her efforts to keep a straight face, but it didn't matter. No one was around, except, no doubt, for King in the bar down the hall. They stepped into the elevator, and Hwoarang pushed the button for the third floor. Xiaoyu quickly pressed the rest of the buttons.  
  
"Hey!" Hwoarang scolded. "What'd you do that for?"  
  
"'Cause," she giggled, "it's fun!" He rolled his eyes and watched the elevator open three times before pulling a reluctant Xiaoyu out into the hallway. "I wanna watch it open on the rest of the... the... uh..."  
  
"Floors," he finished for her, pulling her away from the elevator.  
  
"Yeah! Floors!" He guided her down the hall to her room. She stood staring at the number on the door. She cocked her head to one side thoughtfully. A moment later, she mumbled, "Yeah... this is my room." She fumbled through her pockets for her key, but all of them were empty. "Shit!" she whispered.  
  
"What? Don't tell me your key's in there."  
  
"Yeah." She tried to look through the peephole. "Juuuulia!" she whispered loudly. "Open the door!"  
  
"She's asleep, dummy," Hwoarang said. "Come on, you can crash in my room tonight. Forest is staying in his dad and Paul's room, so I've got both beds free."  
  
"Okay!" Xiaoyu tried to skip down the hall alongside him, but she lost her balance and fell flat on her face. Shaking his head, Hwoarang helped her to her feet. "I'm gonna skip some more," she told him.  
  
"Oh, no, you're not."  
  
"Oh, yes, I am!"  
  
"Oh, no, you're not!" He grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder, continuing calmly down the hall. She wiggled a lot, but he kept a tight grip on her. He set her back down when they reached his room, and he opened the door for her. She flopped facedown on the bed closer to the window. She lay still for a moment before clumsily fiddling with her hands behind her back. She whined helplessly.  
  
"What do you need?" Hwoarang asked as he turned on the bathroom light.  
  
"Can't sleep with bra thingy," she whined. "Won't come off." Hwoarang crossed the room, reached under her top and unclasped her bra with one hand, and returned to the bathroom.  
  
He splashed some water on his face and leaned close to the mirror to inspect his eyes. "Cool," he thought. "Not too red this time." He took out his contact lenses and put them in their plastic case on the counter, then slid his glasses onto his face. He turned off the light and closed the bathroom door behind him. Xiaoyu lay on her back on the bed, her little pink bra draped over her face like a mask. "You gonna sleep like that?" he inquired.  
  
"Like what?" She raised a hand to her face and pulled off the bra. "Oh. I thought I just had my eyes closed or something." She rolled her head toward him. "Hey, I never knew you wore glasses."  
  
"Not many people do." He turned the bedcovers down, pulled off his shirt, and crawled into bed. "Put that thing somewhere where you'll remember it in the morning. I don't want Law to come back tomorrow and find an A-cup bra on his bed."  
  
"I'm a B-cup," she corrected. "Why won't the light go away?" Hwoarang reached over and shut off the lamp. "Yay! Thanks." He heard her moving in the next bed for over a minute before she finally lay still. He was almost asleep when he heard her gasp. "I can't sleep in here!" she cried. "What if Jin finds out? What if he sees me tomorrow? He'll hate me forever!"  
  
"I'll explain it if he does."  
  
"Oh, yeah, that'll sound great. You got me high!"  
  
"I didn't get you high, you wanted to get high."  
  
"Yeah, but he won't see it that way! Shit, I'd better go wake up Nina and Anna, they have an adjoining door into our room."  
  
"Don't bother." With a groan, Hwoarang sat up and turned the lamp back on. He pulled the alarm clock across the nightstand and started pressing buttons. "Jin fights tomorrow at eight in the morning, so he'll be out of the building by six. I'll set this alarm for six thirty so you can go back down the hall after he's gone. Julia fights at ten, so she'll definitely be up and moving by then. Okay?"  
  
"Okay!" She smiled and squeezed her eyes shut. "Night night!"  
  
"Night," he replied, turning off the lamp one more time. 


	2. Chapter Two

A loud, obnoxious beeping yanked Xiaoyu out of her sleep. She groaned and swatted her hands, wishing it would go away. It did, and she curled back around on her side. However, she suddenly found herself shaking. She slapped at the hand on her shoulder.  
  
"C'mon, Xiao," she heard Hwoarang say. "You've gotta get back to your room, remember?" She sat bolt upright in bed.  
  
"What time is it?!" she cried.  
  
"Six thirty, don't worry. I'm gonna go hop in the shower, so you can put your bra back on or whatever and head out. I'll see you later today." He then disappeared into the bathroom. Xiaoyu quickly slipped her bra back on under her shirt and left the room. Glad to see that the hall was empty, she hurried past the elevator and knocked on the door of the room she and Julia shared. Julia opened the door and squinted at her friend.  
  
"What time is it?!" she cried.  
  
"Six thirty, don't worry. I'm gonna go hop in the shower, so you can put your bra back on whatever and head out. I'll see you later today." He then disappeared into the bathroom. Xiaoyu quickly slipped her bra back on under her shirt and left the room. Glad to see that the hall was empty, she hurried past the elevator and knocked on the door of the room she and Julia shared. Julia opened the door and squinted at her friend.  
  
"And where were you all night? she demanded fiercely, though a smile crept over her lips.  
  
Xiaoyu ignored the girl's teasing and pushed past her into the room. "What time did you go to sleep last night?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.  
  
"About ten. Why? Where were you?"  
  
"I got back at, like, twelve, and you were asleep."  
  
"So?" Slightly annoyed at Julia's persistance, Xiaoyu reached into her suitcase and grabbed her key.  
  
"So, this was in here, and I was stuck out there."  
  
"Oh." Julia looked awkwardly at her feet. "I'm sorry. What did you do all night, then?"  
  
"I stayed in Hwoarang's room," Xiaoyu replied simply, removing her shampoo and body wash from her suitcase.  
  
"Hwoarang?" Julia stopped lacing her boot and looked up. "Why?"  
  
He was passing by when I was trying to wake you up last night," she lied, "and he offered to let me stay in his extra bed since Forest Law was staying in his dad's room."  
  
Julia watched her friend head into the bathroom with soaps and clean clothes. She stood and stretched her neck. "I'm going to go train for a bit," she called.  
  
"Okay," came the response from behind the closed door. After she heard the sound of running water, Julia turned and left the hotel room. 


	3. Chapter Three

Julia chugged half the contents of her water bottle before stopping to breathe. She wiped her forehead with a towel and smoothed one of her braids. Preparing to fight the capoeira master Eddy Gordo, she had just spent an hour in the dojo practicing her low attacks. Longing for a nice, hot shower, she glanced at her watch. If she hurried, she would have just enough time to run back to the hotel and clean up before her fight.  
  
Leaving the dojo, she thought about her conversation with Xiaoyu early that morning. She couldn't help but wonder why Hwoarang of all people would offer help to Jin's girlfriend. A thought crossed her mind that perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy after all, but she quickly took it back. From all she had seen, that redhead was nothing but a hot temper and a whole lot of trouble.  
  
Wanting to save her energy for the fight, she took the elevator instead of the stairs. When she got into her room, she saw that Xiaoyu was not there. The clock read eight o'clock, so her friend was no doubt watching Jin's fight against the British boxer, Steve Fox. She flipped on the bathroom light and inhaled the lingering scent of Xiaoyu's floral shampoo. She regretted that it would fade under the harsh smell of her own dandruff shampoo. Eager to wash off the sticky sweat, she unbraided her hair and peeled off her clothes. 


	4. Chapter Four

Forest Law returned to his room to find Hwoarand sprawled on a bed, smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke toward the open window. Law scowled. "You're not supposed to smoke in here, you know."  
  
"Who's gonna know?" Hwoarang puffed on his cigarette and this time blew the smoke toward Law. "Why did you sleep in the other room, anyway?" He snubbed out the cigarette in an ashtray. "You boning Phoenix or something?"  
  
"It's tradition, asshole," Law shot back. "The first night, the three of us stay up late and reminisce about all our old fights. It gets us all pumped up for the Tournament." Hwoarang stared at him blankly for a moment.  
  
"Yeah," he said, "you're boning Paul." Law glared at his obnoxious roommate, then locked himself in the bathroom. Rolling his eyes, Hwoarang pulled himself to his feel and walked into the hall. He smiled as he pictured Law crying like a little girl, dabbing primly at his eyes with a piece of toilet paper. He took the stairs and slid down the railing on the last flight. He pumped his arms, sliding across the floor in a Michael Jackson dance.  
  
"There's something you don't see every day," Julia commented, quickly descending the stairs. Hwoarand stopped dancing and ran a hand through his firey hair. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment; he had not expected anyone to come through the lobby.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked flatly.  
  
"Participating in this little thing called The King of Iron Fist Tournament?" She rolled her eyes. "I would have thought you'd be training the whole time, Mr. Big Shot Street Fighter."  
  
"I don't need to train," he informed her. "In case you've forgotten, I've never lost one of those street fights."  
  
"Yeah, well, this is different. I don't see you in control of the Mishima Zaibatsu."  
  
"Oh, you didn't hear? I won the Tournament last year, but I got bored and sold it back to Heihachi."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure." Julia headed toward the main door; Hwoarang shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Quit following me," she ordered."  
  
"What, I can't watch your fight?"  
  
"If you have to be there, fine, but if you even try to distract me, I will beat the crap out of you."  
  
"Ooh, touchy, touchy!" He smirked, but said no more as he followed her toward the Mishima Zaibatsu grounds. 


	5. Chapter Five

Jin rubbed his hands up and down Xiaoyu's back, savouring the sweet scent of her rose shampoo. His jaw hurt, but he was sure some aspirin would fix it right away. The small girl in his arms nuzzled her forehead against his chest. "I'm so proud of you," she said. He had easily taken out the newcomer, Steve Fox. Jin admired boxing as a sport, but the British man's punches left him wide open for Jin's sweeps and low kicks. He had won the match in record time.  
  
"Thanks," Jin said. He kissed Xiaoyu's forehead. "Want to go get some coffee?" Her eyes lit up at the mention of caffeine, and she nodded eagerly. They joined hands and headed back toward the hotel. There was a trendy coffee shop along the way.  
  
"I hope I can make it to the finals," Xiaoyu said as they walked.  
  
"I'm sure you'll have no problem."  
  
"Hopefully not. It's just that I'm not as strong as a lot of the other fighters here."  
  
"Yeah, but what you lack in strength, you more than make up for in speed. You're going to make it, I'm sure."  
  
I wish I knew how this Craig Marduk guy fights. And what he looks like."  
  
"I've seen him. He's a big guy. And from what I hear, he just got out of jail after killing some guy in a bar brawl."  
  
"Gee, thanks for boosting my confidence!" she scoffed.  
  
"Sorry, I'm just telling you what I know. Besides, from what I've heard, he's about as quick as the Jack robots."  
  
"Well... at least I've got that advantage." They walked in silence the rest of the way to the coffee shop. 


	6. Chapter Six

At dinner, Heihachi Mishima repeated the main points of his speech from the previous night for the latecomers, Yoshimitsu and two other men. One, dressed straight out of a Hollywood film, was introduced simply as Violet, no doubt in reference to his striking purple hair. The other stood at least six and a half feet tall, dark-skinned and bald. He was introduced as Craig Marduk. He immediately stood up upon hearing his name. "So, who's the unlucky guy I'm gonna beat the crap out of tomorrow? Which one of y'all is Ling Jow-yoo?"  
  
Xiaoyu stood up. "Xiaoyu," she corrected. He looked at her, threw back his head, and laughed.  
  
"What is this, some kind of joke? Ain't it a little past your bed time? Go home and get your teddy bear!"  
  
Enraged, Jin jumped to his feet. "I assure you, Mr. Marduk," he growled, "that Miss Ling is a very capable fighter." The two men glared at each other. Heihachi looked from one to the other and chuckled.  
  
"Have a seat, gentlemen and lady. Save your anger for the Tournament." They slowly lowered themselves back into their chairs. Xiaoyu put a comforting hand on Jin's forearm.  
  
"Don't worry," she said. "He's just trying to intimidate me. I'm not afraid of talk." Jin nodded, calming a bit. Still, his face showed his anger.  
  
"If he does happen to get lucky and beat you, he'll have me to answer to."  
  
Xiaoyu scowled. "I can fight my own battles, Jin." She poked at her food with her fork. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Craig Marduk was almost two feet taller than she, and even his muscles had muscles. Across the room, Lei Wulong was busy explaining to him what the food on his plate was.  
  
"What time are you planning on turning in tonight, Xiao?" Julia asked, effectively changing the subject.  
  
"I don't know yet. I guess whenever I feel tired."  
  
"Hopefully that'll be pretty early," Jin added. "You'll need your rest for tomorrow's fight."  
  
"Yeah." Xiaoyu glanced at Hwoarang. He was enjoying a discussion with Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law. Forest sat across from him, concentrating on his food. She sighed, wishing she didn't have to keep her friendship secret from Jin. 


	7. Chapter Seven

"It's horrible!" Julia giggled. She and Xiaoyu sat in the hotel hot tub, eyeing Forest Law's neon green Speedo.  
  
"Why would anyone even think of buying something like that?" Xiaoyu questioned. "Not to mention in that colour!"  
  
"Yeah, no kidding!" Julia shook her head and sipped at her virgin daquiri. "And I thought that gold Spandex jumpsuit was bad."  
  
Suddenly, the two girls were joined by Hwoarang. He slid into the hot tub next to Julia. "God," he moaned, "this water's great. What've you got there, Julia?"  
  
"Virgin strawberry daiquiri," she replied flatly.  
  
"Virgin, eh? Well, like drink, like drinker." She glared at him.  
  
"Did someone invite you?"  
  
"Hey now, no need to get nasty. As far as I know, this facility is open for all hotel guests, thank you."  
  
"Facility, three syllables. I'm impressed." She rolled her eyes and turned her head the other way. Unfortunately, that left her with only Forest's Speedo to look at, so she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.  
  
"So, Xiao, you're up against Prick Marduk tomorrow, eh?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm not worried, though."  
  
"I wouldn't be, either. I saw Anna Williams hitting on him earlier, so by morning he might not have any energy to fight."  
  
Julia abruptly stood up. "Xiao, I'll see you back at our room." Without waiting for a response, she got out of the hot tub, grabbed her towel, and stepped into her sandals. Hwoarang watched her leave, trying not to admire her shape in her burgundy two-piece suit.  
  
"What, you want to fuck her?" Xiaoyu asked, smirking.  
  
"Hell no. I mean, yeah, she's a hot one, but she's got a bad attitude."  
  
"Oh, so I've got a good attitude, but I'm hideous?" she teased.  
  
"No, no!" He laughed a little. "That's not it, not at all." He stopped short of telling her that just being in a hot tub with her and Julia was enough to give him an erection. Xiaoyu alone in her little black bikini with white flowers kept him hard. He had thought several times of seducing her, but had banished the thought from his mind. She was Jin's girl, and while he doubted that he and Jin would ever like each other, he knew that they shared a mutual respect. Besides, any idiot could tell that Xiaoyu adored him to no end. Coming onto her would only leave him looking like a complete ass.  
  
Hoping to change his focus and calm his body, he waved to Paul Phoenix, who sat at an umbrella-covered table drinking a beer and chatting with King. "Hey, Phoenix!" he called. "Got a light?" Paul tossed his Zippo to him, and he pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and lit it. "Thanks," he said, tossing it back. He stretched his legs and inhaled deeply on his smoke.  
  
"So, what's that like?" Xiaoyu asked.  
  
"What, smoking?" She nodded. "It sucks ass. But you get used to it after a while."  
  
"May I try?" she asked timidly. He looked at her wide eyes.  
  
"I really don't think you want to, kid."  
  
"I just want to try. Just to see what it's like." Sighing, he handed it over to her. She held it between her thumb and forefinger, put it between her lips, and breathed in. She coughed, and smoke came out of both her mouth and her nose. Hwoarang quickly took the cigarette from her.  
  
"There, you see? It's really not that great. I wouldn't recommend you start." He watched her shudder and spit into the water. He laughed. "Yeah, it's really not worth it."  
  
"Then why do you do it?" she gasped.  
  
"I started 'cause I thought it was cool. Now I just can't seem to stop. Never thought I'd get addicted, but here I am." He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, enjoying the sun. They sat in silence while he finished off the cigarette, extinguising it it a small puddle next to the hot tub. Xiaoyu stood suddenly, and Hwoarang felt himself blush as he watched the water cascade down her pinked body.  
  
"I'm supposed to meet Jin for lunch in a little while," she said. "I'd better go shower. I'll see you around, Hwoarang." She stepped out of the hot tub, slipped into her pink flip flops, wrapped her towel around her waist, and headed inside. Hwoarang was about to go in himself when he was joined by Forest Law.  
  
"So," Forest smirked, "moving in on Kazama's girl, huh? You shouldn't mess with a Mishima, you know. They have a habit of going all demonic on you."  
  
"Go to hell, Speedo boy."  
  
"Hey, at least I can wear one and look good!" Hwoarang tried to ignore the few muffled snickers he heard from several eavesdroppers.  
  
"If you look so good, how come I'm the one who had two fine ladies in here with me, huh?"  
  
"They just can't handle my overwhelming manliness." Forest crossed his arms behind his head and streched. Hwoarang rolled his eyes and climbed out of the hot tub and grabbed his towel.  
  
"The only overwhelming masculinity you have is when you get it up the ass," he called over his shoulder. 


	8. Chapter Eight

"It's so different from the ones at home," Julia commented.  
  
"Different good or different bad?" Jin asked.  
  
"Good, honestly," she replied, taking a bite of her hamburger. "McDonald's food is a lot greasier back in the States."  
  
"Mmm, grease," Xiaoyu mumbled. Julia giggled and tossed a fry at her friend. "One day, I'll go to America just to swim in the giant vats of grease there."  
  
"Please tell me she's exaggerating," Jin pleaded, raising an eyebrow at Julia.  
  
"Not by much. You don't know grease until you've tried American pizza." She shuddered. "Anyway, what do you guys think of the competition this year?"  
  
"It's been better," Jin admitted. "Of course, the Tournaments have never been like my mother described them to me."  
  
"So much media coverage and excessive glamour," Xiaoyu sighed. Her two friends looked at her and chuckled. "What?" she demanded.  
  
"Sorry, Xiao," Julia said, still laughing. "It just never fails to amuse me when you use big words like that. It's so adorable."  
  
"Adorable," Xiaoyu repeated, thinking back to their earlier encounter with Hwoarang. Julia had had a few other things to say about his use of big words. She shoved the remaining handful of fries on her tray into her mouth to keep herself from commenting.  
  
"You guys want to train with me tonight?" Jin asked, finishing off his cheeseburger.  
  
"Sure," Julia said. "I haven't sparred with you in a while."  
  
"Me, too," Xiaoyu offered. "I love any kind of physical contact with you." She winked, and Julia snickered. Jin blushed and quickly took a big gulp of his Mountain Dew. Julia ate her last chicken nugget, and the three stood up. They disposed of their trash and left the restaurant, heading back toward the hotel. Xiaoyu managed to irritate both of her friends the whole way there by demonstrating her great knowledge of Backstreet Boys song lyrics.  
  
As they walked through the lobby, Anna, sitting on a sofa near the door, closed her issue of Cosmopolitan around her finger and smiled sweetly at them. "How's the redhead's cock taste, Ling?" she asked loudly. Jin and Julia looked at Xiaoyu, confused.  
  
"Excuse me?" Xiaoyu asked, her mouth hanging open.  
  
"I heard him invite you back to his room the other night. Something about Forest Law staying with his daddy, so you two could have the whole room to yourselves."  
  
"Xiao," Julia whispered, "that's not what you told me."  
  
"Not what she told you about what?" Jin demanded.  
  
"I got locked out a couple nights ago," Xiaoyu explained. "Hwoarang happened to be walking by, and he offered to let me stay in his room, since he had an extra bed." She watched Jin's face darken. "Nothing happened, Jin."  
  
"I can't believe you would do something like that!" he yelled. "And with him, of all people!"  
  
"Jin, I didn't!"  
  
"Guys," Julia interjected, "maybe we shouldn't talk about this here." Jin turned his glare toward her and nodded. He turned without a word and headed toward the stairs. The two girls followed him up to his room.  
  
"I would like to speak to my girlfriend alone," he said as he unlocked the door. Julia nodded and quickly headed toward her room. Xiaoyu followed Jin into his room and sat down on his bed. He stood, arms folded, looking down at her. "How could you do this to me?" he asked softly.  
  
"Jin, I didn't do anything. I promise." She looked up at him from under her eyebrows. "I love you."  
  
"You love me." He turned his head and closed his eyes. "How many times have you lied to me about him?" She suddenly felt sick. He turned back to her. "How many times? What have you done with him?"  
  
"Nothing like that. We just talk sometimes, that's all. He's really not a bad guy."  
  
"Not a bad guy." Jin gritted his teeth. "Well, if he's such a great guy, then you can just be with him."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can't do this. It's over."  
  
"Jin--"  
  
"Get out of my room." She froze under his cold stare. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm. "Get out!" He pulled her toward the door and opened it for her to leave. She tried to say his name, but nothing came out. He pushed her out of the room and slammed the door. She fell to her knees and pressed her hands against the door as she choked on her tears. 


	9. Chapter Nine

"Jin, please!" Julia cried. "I know you're upset, but we're just sparring." She rubbed her shoulder. "If you're going to take out this much emotion, maybe you'd be better off with a punching bag."  
  
"You're right," Jin sighed, walking over to a bench and plopping down on it. "I don't know who I'm more angry at, him or her. I always thought he at least respected me enough not to pull shit like that. And her... there's just no excuse for that."  
  
Julia crossed her arms and slowly went to stand in front of him. "Jin, what exactly do you think was done?"  
  
"I don't know. But him, her... alone together all night in a hotel room? What am I supposed to think?"  
  
"We've slept in the same room before," she reminded him, sitting down next to him.  
  
"But that's different. We've known each other since we were kids. Our mothers knew each other." He stared at the ground in front of his feet. "And I'm not like him."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Everything he does. The stealing, the drugs, that whole affair with Anna Williams last year... he's not a good person for her to be hanging around. A talented fighter, yes, and I respect that. But someone like him... don't you think he could influence her?"  
  
"Probably, yes." She knew just from watching the occasional changes in her wardrobe that Xiaoyu was rather impressionable. Jin had a point, but she couldn't stand to think of her friend falling under Hwoarang's pressure, or anyone else's.  
  
"Nothing ever goes right for me," Jin lamented. "Why can't I just be a normal man?"  
  
"Things like this happen to normal men, too, Jin. It's nobody's fault, and it can happen to anyone. It doesn't mean that something is wrong with you." He continued to watch the floor, and Julia half expected the tiles to burst into flame.  
  
"I'm going to go hit the bag for a while," he said finally. Julia squeezed his hand and smiled at him. He bent down to hug her and whispered in her ear, "Thank you for being here for me." He turned and walked toward the punching bags, and Julia wiped his tear from the side of her face. 


	10. Chapter Ten

A knock at the door woke Hwoarang from his unintentional nap. He pushed himself off the bed and went to answer it. Xiaoyu waved at him. He just stared at her standing there in the hallway in front of his room so early in the evening.  
  
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked, smiling a little.  
  
"Sure, come on in." He stepped aside to let her in the room. He couldn't help but stare at her behind as he closed the door; she wore the shortest, tightest little black skirt he had ever seen.  
  
"So," she said, sitting on his bed and draping one leg over the other, "are you ready for your fight with Jin tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. She watched him with a strange calmness that sent a shiver up his spine. "I'll bet everyone's gonna be there to watch. It's like a never-ending grudge match. People love those." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Xiao, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I just thought we could hang out. Is that a problem? Did I interrupt something?"  
  
"No, it's okay." He walked to the opposite side of the bed and sat on its very edge, then grabbed the remote and flipped on the television. He clicked through several channels before finally settling on a subtitled American movie. Neither one of them spoke, and he was sure she was just as disinterested in the movie as he was. Finally, he asked, "Where's Julia?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, Julia. She's with Jin, probably. Helping him train a bit. He's determined to win that fight tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, he's not the only one." His attempt at starting a conversation had failed. He considered telling her he was tired and asking her to leave.  
  
"Hwoarang, do you think I'm pretty?" she asked softly. He almost laughed out loud, but the look on her face told him it was a serious question.  
  
"Anyone with eyes would think you're pretty," he replied. "You're more than pretty... you're beautiful. Absolutely beautiful." She looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Are you coming on to me?" she asked.  
  
"No! I mean... you asked." He cursed himself for blushing. He had a feeling she was going somewhere with this conversation, and he wasn't sure it was anywhere he wanted to go.  
  
"You're blushing," she pointed out, finally smiling. This, of course, only made him blush more. He stood up and combed his fingers through his hair. Things were getting too strange too quickly. Xiaoyu scooted back on the bed and leaned against the headboard, stretching her legs out in front of her and crossing them at the ankles. She smoothed her skirt out, and it covered slightly more of her. A moment later, she pulled the pillow from behind her and set it on her lap. Hwoarang felt a little more at ease seeing her less revealed, and he sat back down. They both turned their attention back to the American movie on the television. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Half an hour after Julia had gone back to the hotel, Jin was still at the dojo. He sat alone in the middle of the huge small room and tried to clear his head. He tried to concentrate on the peace at the center of his mind, but he couldn't banish the vision of Xiaoyu's face. No matter how hard he tried, all he could think of was her smile.  
  
He was interrupted by the clicking of heels on the floor. He opened his eyes to see Anna Williams standing in the doorway. "Oh," she said, "sorry, Jin. I didn't know you were here." She smiled. "Do you mind if I share the dojo for a while?"  
  
"Not at all," he said, though he wasn't sure why she felt the urge to train at this time of night when she had already been defeated in the tournament. He shrugged it off and closed his eyes again, hoping to swallow himself in the darkness behind his eyelids. Unfortunately, every sound Anna made distracted him. With a sigh, he stood up and grabbed his sweatshirt.  
  
"Where are you going?" she called.  
  
"Back to the hotel. I have to sleep."  
  
"Poor Jin," she cooed, starting toward him. "I'll bet you'll be up all night thinking about your little girlfriend." She touched his arm. "Sorry you had to find out the way you did."  
  
"I'll be fine." He turned to leave, but she caught his hand in both of hers.  
  
"Jin... do you... do you need a distraction?"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"Something to keep your mind off of her." She pressed her body close against him, smiling slyly. "I know you find me attractive."  
  
"Anna, this is not a good idea."  
  
"Oh, come on," she pouted. "It's just a little harmless fun. It's not like you're tied down anymore. Little Ling can't keep you chained to her anymore." She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "And I'll bet she couldn't please you the way I can."  
  
"Anna--" Suddenly, her lips were on his. She put a hand on the back of his neck, and he found himself kissing her back. A distraction... he supposed it could work, as long as things didn't go too far. The two fell to the floor, tangled in each other's limbs. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

"What a stupid movie," Xiaoyu commented as the credits rolled. "If they weren't so dumb, they wouldn't get killed. I hate American scary movies."  
  
"They are pretty bad," Hwoarang agreed. He picked up the remote and turned off the television. He leaned back and closed his eyes. It was getting late. He found himself wondering where Forest was. Hanging out with Xiaoyu had never been so awkward.  
  
Suddenly, he felt her touching him. He opened his eyes to see her curled up close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Sleepy," she mumbled. He hesitantly patted the top of her head. She looked up at him, and before he knew what was happening, her lips brushed against his. His mind spun with confusion. She pressed her mouth to his again and ran her hand through his hair as she kissed him softly. His heart raced, and he realized he had no desire to push her away. Instead, he found himself kissing her back, even though the little voice in the back of his head screamed at him to stop.  
  
She threw one leg over his waist and straddled his lap, kissing him harder. He felt dizzy as he traced his fingers down to the small of her back. She kissed his cheek, then took his earlobe between her teeth. "Xiao," he gasped. "Jin..."  
  
"Forget about Jin," she whispered, her breath warm on his moist ear. Summoning every ounce of willpower, he could, he pushed her gently away. She cocked her head and asked, "What's wrong?"  
  
"I can't do this," he told her. "Xiao, I can't be this for you. It's not fair to Jin, or you, or... anyone." She stared at him until tears started to leak from her eyes, and she collapsed against him, weeping softly. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering, "Shh," soothingly into her ear.  
  
"I thought the tears were all gone," she moaned.  
  
"Xiao, what's wrong? What is it?"  
  
"He hated me."  
  
"Who, Jin?" She nodded against his chest. "No. Come on. He loves you more than he loves himself, anyone can see that."  
  
"No." She sat up straight and looked at him. "He found out about us, about me being friends with you. He took it completely the wrong way. I told him you're not a bad guy, and he said if I think you're so great I can just be with you." She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "It's all that Anna's bitch's fault. She heard when I got locked out and told Jin all these things..." Her words trailed off into a sob. "And I didn't know what to do... I felt so alone, so hurt..."  
  
Hwoarang's temper began to boil. He couldn't believe that Jin would break up with Xiaoyu over a misunderstanding, especially one caused by a Williams sister of all people. His urge to fight Jin was growing rapidly, and he had to remind himself to wait for their tournament match.  
  
He realized that Xiaoyu's crying had stopped, and she lay still against him, breathing slowly. He carefully picked her up and left the room, carrying her down the hall to her own room. He kicked the door, hoping that Julia was there. Sure enough, she opened the door. She looked at him, at Xiaoyu, then back at him. "What did you do?" she demanded.  
  
"Nothing," he informed her, pushing past her into the room. He laid Xiaoyu down on the closer bed, not knowing which one was hers. Julia closed the door and folded her arms.  
  
"God, Hwoarang," she snarled. "I knew you and Jin had this rival thing going, but I never imagined that even you would sink so low."  
  
"I didn't do anything!"  
  
"Right. The very night Jin breaks up with her--because of you, I might add--you're carrying her back here unconscious. What am I supposed to think?"  
  
"Maybe that since you and Jin were off together, she needed someone else to talk to?" He approached her quickly, standing so close he could feel her breath. "I am so sick of you treating me like some kind of monster. I have just as much right to be friends with Xiaoyu as you do. And just because I have a penis doesn't mean I'll take advantage of anyone with tits." Julia glared silently up at him. Finally, her eyes softened, and she took a step back.  
  
"I didn't think anything happened the other night," she admitted. "Not with the way Xiao feels about Jin. But I know she didn't tell me the truth."  
  
"What did she tell you happened?"  
  
"She got locked out, and you were going by and offered her Forest Law's bed for the night."  
  
"That's mostly it. The only difference is that we were hanging out before she realized she didn't have her key."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Sitting around outside talking; it was a nice night, if you remember. I smoked a few cigarettes. We discussed a few books we've both read. I made fun of her Backstreet Boys obsession." He stopped there, deciding that Julia didn't need to know that her friend had tried marijuana.  
  
Julia watched him closely, as if searching for any sign of dishonesty. At last, she went to sit on the empty bed. "Jin's pretty broken up over all this," she said. "If everything you're saying is true, I hope he realizes it's just a misunderstanding."  
  
"So do I, as much as I'd love to pound it into him." Julia couldn't help but chuckle. Hwoarang sat down in the armchair next to the window. "Xiao is devastated."  
  
"Where did you find her? She disappeared after everything happened."  
  
"She came to my room a couple hours ago, said you and Jin were off training. We watched a really bad American movie, and then she told me everything that happened." He frowned. "I have a feeling tomorrow's fight is going to be a doozy."  
  
"I don't doubt it." She pulled her legs up onto the bed and crossed them. Hwoarang stared at her as she turned to watch Xiaoyu sleep. "I guess she just kind of crashed, then."  
  
"Wore herself out crying. One second she was sobbing like crazy, the next she practically passed out." He balled his hand into a fist, then relaxed it, still forcing his anger to maintain a sane level.  
  
"Well," Julia said, distracting him from his emotions, "thank you for bringing her back here."  
  
"I guess that's my cue to leave." He stood with a groan and started toward the door. "I can take a hint."  
  
"Hwoarang," she called, jumping to her feet. She hesitated, then reached out to hug him. "Really. Thank you."  
  
"No problem," he replied, surprised by her actions. "Just looking out for her." The hug lasted longer than he expected, and he felt himself blush. She quickly noticed this when she pulled away, and she scowled.  
  
"What are you blushing for? It wasn't that kind of hug, so don't get your hopes up."  
  
"There's the Julia I know," he said, grinning. 'You're gonna be at the fight tomorrow, right?"  
  
"Who isn't?"  
  
"See you then, then." He bowed his head slightly and backed out of the room. Julia turned to look at Xiaoyu, then turned out the light and crawled into bed.  
  
A/N: Re-uploaded this chapter to fix some major typos I found.. words like foomr, dure, opnened, and uip managed to sneak in. Just thought I'd share, 'cause foomr and uip amuse me to no end. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Jin's heart pounded as he felt his pants slide down his legs. Anna's top had already been discarded, and now she was baring his most vulnerable spot. He forced himself to concentrate on just the physical part of the situation; he had pushed all thoughts of who he was with out of his head and only allowed himself to acknowledge the physical sensations. His head rolled to the side when he felt a tongue flick lightly against the head of his penis. Lips encircled his erection, and the warmth of the inside of her mouth caused the muscles in his legs to tighten. Her head bobbed slowly up and down, caressing the entirety of his member. Shivers rushed up and down his spine; he had never felt himself so deep in a woman's mouth before.  
  
One of her hands gently massaged his sac, and he moaned. This was nothing like the clumsy, naive stimulation he had received from Xiaoyu; this was obviously a well-practiced technique. Knowing this somehow took away from his pleasure. Still, he felt climax creeping up on him. She seemed to have an uncanny sense of his level of arousal, adjusting her pace and pressure to match. Orgasm came quicker than he expected, and he grunted as he shot into her throat.  
  
Wiping her mouth, Anna quickly crawled beside him, wanting to catch the expression on his face. However, there was no hint of satisfaction in his eyes. She watched in shock as tears started to roll down his face. "This was so wrong," he whispered. "This should never have happened. I can't believe I did this. I can't believe I did this to Xiao."  
  
"You don't belong to her anymore," Anna reminded him. "If you enjoyed it, how could it have been wrong?" It was obvious that he disagreed with her logic. He put his head in his hands and sobbed, his shoulders shaking. Anna frowned at him. "You could have any woman you want. Why get hung up on one little girl?"  
  
"Because I love her." The words left his mouth before he even thought about it. Revelation washed over his face. It did not matter whether or not Hwoarang had tried to start anything with Xiaoyu. What mattered was that, even if he had, Xiaoyu had stopped it. She was telling the truth, and he could feel it in his heart. He catapulted to his feet and ran from the dojo. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

A loud pounding yanked Julia out of her dream. She realized that someone was knocking at her door, and she hoisted herself out of bed. Heading toward the door, she grumbled at being interrupted right before her lips met those of Brad Pitt. As soon as she turned the knob, the door flew back, knocking her from her feet. Jin pushed his way into the room and noticed her on the floor. He gave her a hand up. "Sorry," he mumbled.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" she growled. He ignored her and ran to kneel by Xiaoyu's bed. He flipped the bedside lamp on and looked at her face, then gently nudged her awake. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened, and she took a few seconds to focus on his face.  
  
"Jin?" she mumbled, confused.  
  
"Xiao... I'm so sorry."  
  
"You are?" She propped herself up on an elbow and stared into his eyes, which were tearing up.  
  
"I didn't mean to, Xiao... it just happened so fast. One second she was training and I was leaving, and the next she was kissing me, and I didn't want to kiss her back, but I did, and things just went from there." Xiaoyu's eyes flew wide, and she turned her glare to Julia, who was watching the scene with a look of shock on her face.  
  
"Jin," she cried, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Anna," he sobbed. "After you left, she came in, and she... god, I know I shouldn't have let her, but..." He trailed off and grabbed Xiaoyu's hand. "Can you forgive me, Xiao? Please say you will!" She stared at him for a long time, no hint of emotion in her eyes. He felt like a lifetime passed before she finally spoke.  
  
"You don't need to answer to me," she said coldly. "You broke up with me, remember?" She yanked her hand from his grasp. "And here you are, not twelve hours later, doing the exact thing you accused me of doing! You expect me to forgive you?!" His tears flowed faster; he had never seen such a look of rage on the girl's face. "You hypocrite! Get out of my room! I never want to see you again!"  
  
"Xiao, I--"  
  
"Go!" She slapped him hard across the face, and he stumbled back. Having no other choice, he stood and left the room, unable to look Julia in the eye as he passed. Julia ran to Xiaoyu, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand in hers.  
  
"Xiao, honey..." She watched her friend, waiting for her to start crying. A minute passed, and she hadn't moved a muscle. "Xiao, are you okay?" No response from the girl, and Julia shook her shoulder. "Xiao!" she cried. "Look at me, Xiao! Say something!"  
  
"I'm going back to sleep," Xiaoyu mumbled softly, and her body went limp in Julia's grasp. Julia gently laid her head on the pillow and watched her as she breathed. She stroked the girl's forehead, pushing strands of raven hair aside. Once she was certain that Xiaoyu was indeed sleeping and not simply in shock, she stood and stepped into her slippers. She stopped just before she opened the door, looking back at her sleeping friend. Her instincts screamed at her not to leave her alone, but she had to go talk to Jin and make sure that he was all right. She did the first thing that popped into her head: dashed across the room and dialed Hwoarang's room number.  
  
"Hello?" came the groggy response.  
  
"Law? Is that you?"  
  
"Who this?"  
  
"Law, I need to talk to Hwoarang."  
  
"He sleep."  
  
"Wake him up. This is important."  
  
"Too tired." The reciever clicked in her ear, and she let out an exasperated sigh. She dialed the number again, and Law answered again, a more irritated tone in his voice.  
  
"Wake up Hwoarang," Julia demanded. Grumbling, she heard Forest moving around his room and yelling at Hwoarang. Finally, Hwoarang's voice came across the phone line.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hwoarang, it's Julia."  
  
"Is everything okay? Is Xiao okay?"  
  
"Get over here now. I'll explain when you get here."  
  
"On it." She hung up and waited at the door, looking through the peephole. She opened the door as soon as she spotted his red hair, and he walked in, clad in only his gi pants. His eyes immediately went to the sleeping Chinese girl.  
  
"She's okay," Julia told him, "I think she's just sleeping."  
  
"What did you need me for, then?"  
  
"Jin came by. He woke her up, and I thought he was going to apologize, but he ended up telling her something happened between him and Anna Williams in the dojo tonight."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Yeah. He didn't say what happened, but it's fairly obvious what category it falls into. He begged her to forgive him, but she called him a hypocrite and said she never wants to see him again. I need to go talk to him, but I don't want to leave her alone, just to be safe."  
  
"I understand. Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on her."  
  
"Thank you so much, Hwoarang." She darted for the door, but paused and said over her shoulder, "Xiao's right, you're not so bad." She caught a glimpse of his smile before she left the room and rushed up the hallway. She knocked on Jin's door. There was no hint of anyone coming to answer the door, so she knocked louder. "Jin, it's me," she called. "I know you're in there, now answer the god damned door." Still no answer. With a sigh, Julia paced back and forth in the hallway. An idea came to her, and she ran back to her room.  
  
"That didn't take long," Hwoarang commented as she flipped on her bathroom light. She stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself in a towelm adjusting it so that as much cleavage as decently possible showed, then turned on the shower and stuck her head under the water. Once it was sufficiently wet, she turned the shower back off and left the bathroom.  
  
"What are you doing?" Hwoarang cried, struggling to keep his eyes on her face.  
  
"He won't open the door. I'm going to go get a key from the front desk."  
  
"Like that?"  
  
"Just trust me." Not waiting for an answer, she left the room and bounded down the stairs. She put on her best timid face and padded to the main desk. She smiled shyly at the obviously embarrassed clerk. "Hi," she said. "I was in my boyfriend's room, and when I got out of the shower, I thought I heard a noise out in the hall. I went to go see what it was, and the door closed behind me. He's asleep and can't hear me knocking, and I don't have a key. Do you think I could get one? I'd really hate to spend the whole night down here dressed like this." The woman behind the desk sputtered an affirmative response, and Julia gave her the room information. In no time, she was dashing back up the stairs with a key in hand.  
  
She had to wait for Hwoarang to let her into her room, since she had been unable to take her own key. Smiling, she held up the key. Hwoarang shook his head. "Women," he muttered. "They can get anything they want." He returned to his spot on the bed, and Julia quickly dressed and ran back to Jin's room. She inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. Jin stood at the window, his back to her.  
  
"Jin," she said, closing the door behind her, "why wouldn't you let me in?"  
  
"How did you get in?" he asked, not moving from his perch at the window.  
  
"Managed to get myself a key." She crossed the room and stood next to him. "Wanna tell me what happened?"  
  
"Anna decided that she wanted to 'distract' me, keep my mind off of Xiao. I figured it would be all right to kiss her a little, you know, nothing too serious." A tear slid down his cheek, shimmering in the moonlight. "The next thing I know, we're both half naked and she's going down on me." More tears followed. "I haven't cried this much since I lost my mother. Now I'm losing the only other woman I've ever loved, and this time it's all my fault."  
  
"No, Jin, it's not."  
  
"It is. I've fucked up big time, Jules. I'm not sure there's any going back from this one."  
  
"Jin--"  
  
"On top of that, I realized she was telling me the truth. But not until after I've fixed it so she'll never want me back." He squeezed his eyes shut and wrinkled his nose, holding back a loud sob. "What's wrong with me, Julia? Why do I always have to fuck things up like this?"  
  
"You didn't fuck anything up." She placed a comforting hand on his forearm. "You're only human." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You know what I mean. Someone offered you an escape from your pain, and you accepted it. You're not the first person it's ever happened to, and you certainly won't be the last." She gently took his hand and led him to the bed. "Get some sleep, honey. Things won't look so bad in the morning."  
  
He wordlessly climbed into bed. Julia tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. She knelt by his bed and watched his face until he fell asleep. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Julia squinted at the numbers on the digital alarm clock and saw that it was about ten thirty. Putting on her glasses, she noticed that Xiaoyu was awake, too. She lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"Morning," Julia greeted.  
  
"Mmm," was her friend's only response.  
  
"The guys' fight is at two."  
  
"I don't care." The Chinese girl rolled onto her side, her back to her. "I'm not going. "Her voice was muffled by the covers she was tightly wrapped in.  
  
"Not going?" Julia sat up. "What do you mean you're not going?"  
  
"I'm just not going. Jin hates me now, and I'm not allowed to be friends with Hwoarang, so why should I bother?"  
  
"Xiao, Jin feels really bad about what happened."  
  
"He should."  
  
"Point taken. But he knows he screwed up. He wants to fix things with you. Last night, I was terrified he would... do something stupid."  
  
"Julia, you're not going to convince me to go, so you might as well just give up now." She burrowed deeper into her blankets. Julia sighed and rolled out of bed. She fetched her things and headed into the bathroom.  
  
The hot shower gave Julia a short vacation from the world around her. She closed her eyes, savouring the feel of the water cascading over her body, sliding down her long hair and dripping off the ends. Her shampoo, despite its awful smell, felt delicious. For a brief moment, she felt like one of those girls in the commercials who would moan and scream just from washing their hair. When she felt sufficiently clean, she turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy bathroom. She dried and dressed herself, popped her contacts in, and braided her hair.  
  
Xiaoyu hadn't moved an inch. Julia yanked the covers off her bed, and the girl sprang up to a sitting position. "Give them back!" she shrieked.  
  
"Nope. We're going to lunch. Are you planning to go like that, or will you put on some clean clothes?" Scowling, Xiaoyu pushed herself to her feet and stormed over to her suitcase. Julia sat on her bed, politely facing the wall as her friend dressed.  
  
"Fine," she huffed at last, "let's go." They left the hotel and walked to a small sushi restaurant several blocks from the hotel. Julia watched her small friend ear, desperately racking her brain for something to say that would cheer her up. To her surprise, though, Xiaoyu was the first to speak.  
  
"I kissed Hwoarang last night," she said, not looking up from her plate.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I felt like shit. I thought it would make me feel better."  
  
"Did it?"  
  
"No. He said it was wrong, and it wasn't fair to Jin."  
  
"He's right."  
  
" I hadn't told him yet that we broke up. He thought we were still together, that's why he said that."  
  
"He's still right, because Jin still loves you. And plus, it's not fair to Hwoarang, either. You can't just use someone like that."  
  
"Jin certainly didn't mind using Anna for a rebound fuck."  
  
"Blow job," Julia corrected.  
  
"Ooh, big difference. All I did was kiss Hwoarang. I didn't rip his clothes off and jump on him."  
  
"Xiao... you were both confused at hurt, and you did things you regret. But you still love each other, and that's what's important. I know you guys can work through this and come out a stronger couple."  
  
"You sound like a bad movie."  
  
"Perhaps, but you know I'm right. So you fucked up. Learn from your mistakes."  
  
Xiaoyu stared at her now empty plate. She knew Julia was right, but she was not yet ready to admit it. She wiped furiously at the tears that were starting to fall from her eyes. Julia reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Xiaoyu threw her money on the table and hurried out of the restaurant. Julia followed her example and, once outside, drew her friend into a tight hug. The Chinese girl sobbed against her shoulder. Passersby stared quizzically, but Julia ignored them. When Xiaoyu calmed down, the two girls linked arms and walked back to the hotel.  
  
Upon entering their room, their eyes immediately landed on a single rose which rested on Xiaoyu's pillow. She walked slowly to the bed and picked up the glower, staring at it for a long time before turning to Julia. "I would like to be alone for a little while," she said softly. Julia nodded and left the room. Sighing, she checked her watch and, deciding that she had plenty of time, headed down to the hotel bar and ordered herself a Shirley Temple. She took her drink out to the balcony. Hwoarang leaned against the baulistrade, smoking a cigarette. Julia leaned her hip against the bars and met his gaze. "I think Xiao's doing a little better today," she informed him.  
  
"How about Jin?"  
  
"Haven't talked to him yet." She eyed his smoke. "Got an extra?"  
  
"Uh, yeah." He pulled the pack from his pocket and opened it. She took one and put it in her mouth, and he lit it for her. "I didn't know you smoked."  
  
"Very rarely. Only when I'm really stressed. Calms my nerves." She took a deep drag and blew the smoke skyward. "It's been about a year." He nodded, and they finished their cigarettes in silence. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she asked finally.  
  
"I want to save my energy." They looked out over the city, enjoying the brief moment of peace. 


End file.
